Game apparatus.



H. P. ANDERSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1917.

Paizented Jan. 29, 1918 s suns-snsar 1.

afboz M346;

Patented J an. 29, 1918.

Attorneys,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Witnesses I H. P. ANDERSON.

' GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21.1917- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses Inventor;

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Attorneys an etch.

HANS P. ANDERSON, OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

Application filed June 21, 1917; Serial No. 176,157.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HANS P. ANDERSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Fargo, in the county of Cassand State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful GameApparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention appertains to game apparatus, and relates moreparticularly to improvements over the game apparatus disclosed in myprior Patent N 0. 1,187,054, granted April 25, 1916.

It is the object of the invention to provide a novel and improved gameapparatus for howling, the pins or targets being piv otally connectedwith a frame to be upset by the balls, the pins being readily reset bythe players, and the construction being such that the game will bepractically the same as ordinary bowling games, strikes, spares andsimilar plays being possible by well directed balls, whereby the gamewill be interesting and scientific.

The invention has for its object the provision of novel means formounting the pins or targets, and means whereby when certain pins arestruck or upset, a group of pins or targets in rear thereof Will also beupset, thus enabling strikes and spares to be made as in an ordinarybowling game.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means forretarding and cushioning the movement of the pins when upset.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a game apparatusof the nature indicated which is improved generally in its constructionand details to enhance the utility and etliciency thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus, portions being broken away".

Fig. '2' is a side clevationthereo f, portionsbeing broken away.-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the tripping device in setposition.

Fig. l is asimilar vie w showing said device released.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, portions beingremoved for sake of clearness.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation illustrating' the mounting of oneof the pins.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmental elevation of one of the pins, showingthe butter thereof.

Fig. 8 is, a lower end View of the pin.

The present apparatus utilizes ten pins or targets designated 1 to 10,inclusive, and arranged in triangular formation in the manner of thepins of an ordinary ten-pin bowling game, with the head pin 1 foremost.These pins are suspended over the rear portion of the alley 11, which ispreferably covered with a cork mat or the like, for deadening the noise.Along the sides of the alley 11 are troughs12, and a butter 11 issuspended loosely at the rear end of the alley for stopping the balls.The rear end portion of the alley, below the buffer 11, slopes to oneside, as at 16, for delivering the balls into the return trough 16sloping to the forward end of the alley for returning the balls 17 wherethey can be picked up by the players. It is preferable to provide corkor other noise deadening strips 13 in the troughs 12 and 16.

The troughs 12 also preferably slope forwardly to return the balls tothe'players, should they roll off of the alley.

The pins are supported by a frame above the alley, and this frameincludes the arches 18 and 19 standing astride the alley to per: mit theballs to roll under the frame and pins, and said frame further includeslongitudinal bars 20 supported on the arch 19 and having their endsconnected to the arch 18. Transverse rods 21 are engaged through thebars 20, and have the pins mounted thereon the movement of the pins whenswung to a vertical position. I The pins are of semi-cit cular crosssection, with their curved iaces disposed toward the forward end of thealley, and the lower end of each pin is re duced, as at 25, and hasfitted thereon a buffer 26 behind the forward curved portion of which isa resilient cushion or pad 27. This reduces the noise and jar when theballs 17 strike the lower ends of the pins, said balls when rollingalong the alley moving under the pins.

In order to hold the pins in either normal. or upset position, leafsprings 28 have their rear ends secured to cross bars 22 of the framesecured upon the bars in rear of the rows of pins, and the forward endsof said leaf springs are pivoted, as at 29, to rearwardly projectingears 30 carried by the pins adjacent to the rods 21. The springs 28 arelonger than the spaces between the ears30 and bars 22, whereby saidsprings are bowed upwardly, thereby tending to move their enc apart.Nhen thepin is swung ton vertical position, the cars 30 are swungdownwardly to bring the pivot 29 below'a straight line connecting therespective rod 21 and-bar 22, whereby the spring 28 exerts a tensiontending to move the lower portion of the pin forwardly, and holding thebuffer 24, against the stop rod 23. The pin is thus held in reset ornormal position, and when the lower end thereof is struck by the balland moved rearwardly a sufficient distance to move the pivot 29 abovethe line connecting the rod 21 and bar 22, the spring 28 will now tendto move the ear 30 forwardly over the rod 21, thereby completing theupsetting of the pin, as seen in Fig. 6. The spring 28 will, therefore,either hold the pin in vertical normal position or in upset position,the pin being readily upsetwhen the ball strikes the lower endthereofwith sufiicient force, and the spring holding the pin in upset position,as well as completing its upsetting movement.

As ameans for retarding and cushioning the upsetting movement of thepins, a weight 31 for each pin is employed, said weight having anupstanding stem 32 sliding through the respective bar 22, and providedat its upper end with a head 33 to limit the downward movement of theweight. and support it. The stem 32 has a washer 34: fitting slidablythereon below the bar 22, with a compressible washer 35 between thewasher 34: and weight. The weights 31 are thus suspended from the framein rear of the pins, and the lower ends of the weights are inclined forthe contact therewith of the buffers 26 when the pins are upset.

Thus, when a pin is upset, the lower end or buffer 26 thereof movesupwardly against Should the weight be. comple'telyraised' to bring thewasher 34: against the bar 22, the resilientwasher 35 willprovide ayieldable stop.

Means are provided whereby when either of the pins 2 and 3 behind thehead pin are upset, the four pins behind such pins will also be upset,in order that strikes and spares can be made, even though the ballcannot hit all of the pins. This arrangement is provided in lieu of thefact that in an ordinary bowling game, the pins in being. knocked down.fall rearwardly and also knock down those pins in rear thereof, so thatthe present gamewill have practically the same result. For this purpose,a pair of upwardly projecting tripping members 36 is pivoted to certainbars 20 of the frame in rear of each pin 2 and 3, and a pair of similartripping members 37 is fulcrumed to the bars 20' of the frame in rear ofeachpair of members 38- The members are between the pin 5 and pins 4e6while one pair of members 37 is between the i ns. 7 and 8, while theother pair is between the pins 9 and 10. Transverse rods 38' and 39 areengaged through the members and 37, respectively, of the several pairs,and their terminals project behind the respective pins- Thus, the lefthand rod 38 extends behind the pins and 5, while the right hand rod 38extends behind the pin 5 also and the pin 6. The left hand rod 39extends behind the pins 7 and 8, while the right hand rod 39 extendsbehind the pins 9 and 10. The corresponding rods'38 and 39 at theopposite sides are connected by links or bars 40, whereby they swingsimultaneously, and a coiled wire retractile spring 41 connects each rod39 with the frame, thereby tending to move the tripping 1nem bers 36 and37 forwardly to bring their rods 38 and 39 into engagement with therespective pins above their pivots, to swing the pins to upset position.Each of these up"- setting devices is normally held in set position bymeans of a rearwardly extending detent 42 pivoted upon one bar of theframe and having its rear end adapted to abut the rod 38 to hold thetripping members in rearwardly swung positionagainst the tension of thecorresponding spring ll,

said rod 38 having stop 4% secured thereto for supporting the detent andlimiting its downward movement when snapped into en gagement with therod 38 when the tripping devices are set. Each of the detents 42 has aspring 43 tending to move it downwardly, whereby to either hold it inabutment with the rod 38 or bearing thereon. An inverted U-shapedtrigger l5 has its ends pivoted to certain bars 20 of the frame in frontof each pair of tripping members 36, and is connected by a link 46 witheither the pin 2 or 3, there being two triggers 45 for said pins, andsaid triggers swing under the detents 42. When the apparatus is set, thesprings 43 move the detents 12 into engagement with rods 38, as seen inFig. 3, to hold the tripping devices set, and the triggers 45 are swungrearwardly due to the rearward movement of links 46 when the pins 2 and3 are swung to vertical position. When either the pin 2 or 3 is upset,it will pull the link 46 forwardly, and swing the respective trigger 45upwardly and forwardly, thereby raising the detent 42 and releasing therod 38, so that the spring 41 will swing the corresponding trippingdevice forwardly, which will upset those four pins in rear of the pinupset by the ball. Thus, if the pin 2 is upset by the ball, this willalso upset the pins 4:, 5, 7 and 8, whereas if the pin 3 is upset, thiswill also upset the pins 5, 6, 9 and 10. The player can, therefore, makea strike by first hitting the head pin 1, and then hitting both pins 2-3(the ball being of sufficient diameter to hit both of said pins) whichwill result in all of the pins of the last two rows being upset. If theball hits the pin 1 and one of the pins 2--3, then the pins 1 and 5, andthose at one side will all be upset, while the other pins remain in .setposition, and can be upset by hitting the remaining pin'2 or 3, therebyresulting in a spare. The pins 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are only upset ingroups when the pairs 2 and 3 are struck, and said pins of the last tworows can be upset individually when the ball misses the first threepins. in this manner, the game played with the present apparatus isquite similar to an ordinary bowling game.

In order to reset any and all upset pins, a resetting frame 47 isslidable upon the main supporting frame, being of suitable shape toextend between the pins, and being provided with guide slots 48receiving bolts of guiding elements 19 carried by the main frame. Theresetting frame 47 is normally moved forwardly by means of springs 50connecting the rear portion thereof and main frame, and in order to movethe resetting frame rearwardly, a cable or other flexible element 51 isconnected to the rear end thereof and extends around guide pulleys 52 atthe rear end of the alley and then forwardly, preferably under thealley, to a hand lever 53 fulcrumed to a post 54 at the forward end ofthe alley within convenient reach of the players. A slight movement ofthe lever 53 is suflicient to pull the resetting frame rearwardly toaccomplish the resetting of the pins conveniently, an elastic spring 55being interposed in the cable 51 to prevent a too sudden jerk on thelever from injuring the apparatus, since the spring will relieve thestrain. The resetting frame 47 is connected by straps or flexibleconnections 56 with the pins above their pivots, said straps beingnormally slackened, so

as not to interfere with the upsetting of the pins, but when theresetting frame is moved rearwardly, the straps 56 will pull the upperends of the pins rearwardly, to reset them. The rearward movement of theresetting frame also resets the tripping devices, should they have beenreleased. Thus, chains or flexible elements 37 connect the rear rods 39of the tripping devices with the resetting frame 47, in order that whenthe resetting frame is moved rearwardly, the chains 57 will pull thetripping devices rearwardly, the detents -12 snapping into place to holdthe tripping devices set, as seen in Fig. 3.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily obvious from theforegoing, the game being played in the manner of an ordinary bowlinggame, and the pins being reset after each playerhas had his opportunityto upset the most number of pins. Due to the provision of the trippingdevices for upsetting the pins in groups, this renders the game muchmore interesting, and it approaches more closely to the ordinary bowlinggame from a scientific point of view.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A game apparatus embodying a plurality of targets adapted to beupset,and means under the control of one target for upsetting other targetswhen said target is upset.

2. A game apparatus embodying a plurality of targets, a tripping devicefor upsetting some of the targets, and detent means controlled byanother target for holding the tripping device inactive and releasing itwhen the last mentioned target is upset.

3. A game apparatus embodying a plurality of targets adapted to beupset, tripping means for some of the targets to upset them, a detentfor holding said tripping means inactive and controlled by anothertarget to release the tripping device when the last mentioned target isupset, and means for resetting the targets and said tripping device.

4. A game apparatus embodying a frame, pins pivoted thereto, a trippingdevice for upsetting pin in rear of another pin, and detent meanscontrolled by the last mentioned pin for holding the tripping deviceinactive until the last mentioned pin is up set.

5. A game apparatus embodying a frame, pins pivoted thereto anddepending therefrom, a spring pressed tripping device carried by theframe for upsetting pins in rear of another pin, a detent carried by theframe for holding said tripping device inactive, and a trigger operatedby the last mentioned pin for releasing the detent when said pin isupset.

6. A game apparatus embodying an alley, a frame supported thereover,pins in triangular formation pivoted to the frame and suspendedtherefrom, means for holding said pins in vertical and rearwardly upsetpositions, spring pressed trippingdevices carried by the frame forupsetting pins in rear of others, detents carried by the frame forholding said tripping devicesinactive, means operated by the lastmentioned pins for releasing said detents when said pins are upset, andmeans for resetting the pins and tripping devices.

7. A game apparatusembodying a frame, a plurality of targets pivotallysecured in the frame and adapted to be upset, resilient means for movingthe targets toward and retaining them in upset position, upsettingmechanism pivoted to the frame and to some of the targets, detents forthe mechanism pivoted to the frame, trips for the detents, andconnections between the trips and other targets.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HANS P. ANDERSON.

Witnesses RAsMUs MILLER, OTTO PALMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissione of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

